No Rest for the Righteous - A RWBY Western
by YandereYukiko
Summary: Yes, you read the title correctly. A tale of friendship and adventure as Team RWBY takes on the Torchwick Gang and investigates the corrupt business of dust mining in the Old West.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: Hello and thank you for reading the following story. The idea for a RWBY western seemed like a really fun idea to me and I had to write it. This will be series of some length so any input you have will be extremely helpful in shaping it and in improving my writing. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

* * *

**THE** sun was falling beneath the far horizon of Remnant, hinting at the deep cold to come as Roman Torchwick watched the caravan make its way in his direction. He caressed the head of his cane gently, a habit he could never seem to quite shake. Though he hoped he never did, for if that happened than it meant he no longer got the adrenaline rush before a job. And, as his father always told him, why do a job if you don't enjoy it? Of course that had been his reason for never having one, but hey, it still applied.

It was almost time and Torchwick took the cigar from his mouth and put it out with his boot as he moved to join his team a little further along the cliff. They would need to start riding soon if they were to intercept the train of goods and people riding for the next town. This better be a better payout than the last one, was the last thought in his head as he approached and addressed his gang of outlaws.

"Alright, let's do this gentlemen," he paused for a second and glanced over at a dark-skinned girl with red eyes and short, mint-green hair who was playing with her twin pistols "and lady." Torchwick's sarcasm in this nicety seeping through his speech.

"I don't suppose we'll actually get anything of value this time." the girl inquired as she put away her weapons and stood up to face him. "She was not pleased with the last haul Roman."

Torchwick did not like having a boss or having their goons in his gang but the amount of profit he had brought in since accepting their offer made up for the loss of dignity.

"My sources swear that this caravan will hold Schnee assets: workers, dust and weapons." He mounted his horse and the others followed suit before he finished with "All they require to start up this new Dust mining operation. And all that we need to cripple it."

Torchwick took off now at a quick pace, all but two following him. The girl and a boy stayed back though, watching.

"We can't trust him Mercury." The green haired girl said, not looking at her companion. "He resents working for Cinder and having us here."

"Ah, but that makes him predictable, which is exactly what we need." The boy yawned before adding, "Now let's go Emerald. I'm getting bored."

They sped off, catching up with the others.

* * *

**THE** carriage jolted suddenly as it hit a large bump in the make-shift trail and Blake was awake in an instant. She let out a sigh at the fact that she wouldn't be getting anymore sleep before their arrival. Resigned, Blake began to take in her surroundings.

The large passenger carriage was overcrowded with the others, all Faunus recruited to work at the Schnee Dust Company's latest mine. The wages were relatively high so Blake couldn't blame them for wanting to escape the prejudice of the cities and start anew out west. The Schnee Dust Company however she could blame. Nasty rumors were making their way back east about the treatment of workers and the business practices of the company. It was these rumors that led the White Fang, the most prominent Faunus rights organization, to send Blake in undercover to investigate. She needed to uncover any truth in these rumors and do what had to be done from there.

And so, a few forged papers and weeks of travel later, Blake found herself looking at her fellow Faunus as she attempted to regain blood flow in her legs. They had been told that the next stop would be their destination, a small comfort to Blake's mind.

The carriage jolted again, more violently this time, and Blake was about to go have a conversation with the driver when she felt the vehicle slow and eventually stop.

We can't be there yet, she thought while she made her way to the back entrance into the wagon.

Gunshots suddenly filled the air and all of the other Faunus were awake now as well. Fear filled the space as the shooting continued outside. Blake reached for Gambol Shroud, reassured at its presence and continued on. Before she was able to reach the flap to investigate what was happening outside, someone opened it and entered the carriage.

"Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen," the man who entered wore a small bowl like hat over his orange hair and carried a cane that seemed to be more for gesturing than actual walking "I am afraid that you are currently in the process of being robbed. Your cooperation, though not required, is heavily encouraged. If you any questions or concerns, I ask that you please hold them until all valuables and the like have been acquired by yours truly. Now" he turned to his side "please exit this wonderfully cramped space and follow the instructions of those outside. Any questions?"

Blake was about to say something when another beat her to it, a large bull Faunus who was clearly not intimidated by the orange haired man. "What are you…"

A shot rang out before he finished and a scream filled the space before it was followed by utter silence. The man's cane was smoking as he kept it pointed to where the bull Faunus once stood.

"That was a test." He dropped his cane "I asked that questions be held until the end and he didn't listen like the rest of you smart folk. But hey lessoned learned right? And now that you are aware of how seriously I take my requests, I must ask once again that you make your way outside and avoid any further confrontation." He left the space now and was followed by the group of twenty or so Faunus, some scared whispers the only sound now.

Blake wanted to act, her anger over the murder nearly forcing her to do so. But she knew she had to wait. There was no way of knowing how many friends of this guy were outside or how well equipped they were. She needed to assess everything and avoid hasty actions, not to mention that her cover would be blown the moment she enacted any sort of plan.

And so, Blake followed the others outside and into a larger group composed of passengers from other carriages. She looked around and saw that there were five men watching the group, all armed with rifles and pistols. There were anywhere from five to ten others ransacking the wagons, it was hard to tell as they made their way in and out of the compartments. The man who killed the Faunus was standing to the side with a girl and boy, smoking a cigar as he observed the proceedings.

Blake wasn't sure if she would be able to take out all of them or even trust that the scared Faunus would aid her. If all they were doing was stealing from the Schnee Dust Company, then it wasn't worth the risk of more getting hurt. She stood there now, staring at the man and waiting for the next development to occur.

* * *

"**I've** got to say Roman," Emerald said next to him "your source actually came through." She paused "This time."

Torchwick scowled slightly before adopting his cavalier smile. "I am a professional darling; things have a tendency to work out when I'm involved."

"So then why did you make the passengers get out, we're going to need them in the wagons if were going to move them." Mercury asked, curious.

"Heh," Torchwick tapped his cigar "I thought it would be prudent to weed out the troublemakers. Luckily we've only had one so far."

"So, now that we've confirmed the contents of this caravan, can we move on to the next step? Emerald asked, clearly not dressed for the plummeting temperature.

Torchwick took a moment to relish her discomfort before walking towards the group of about forty Faunus. He stopped in front of them and simply watched, waiting for all them to focus on him. When he was satisfied he had their attention, he spoke.

"Now, some of you may have noted that I am a criminal. No. No. Don't deny it, I'm not offended. You see, I bring this up to drive home a point. As a criminal, society affords me certain traits, characteristics, tendencies, whatever you want to call them. The point is that as a criminal I lie as part of my day." He paused to light another cigar when he noticed a particular Faunus on his right. She didn't seem to possess the fear the others did. Her eyes were focused and conniving -a problem. Torchwick signaled to Mercury and Emerald to look in her direction, they would notice the same thing and be ready.

"And folks, I'm afraid that you are now a victim of one of my lies. Unfortunately, we did not cause this little detour for your trip to simply steal goods. An operation I am a part of also has need for some services. Services that you are all uniquely qualified to provide."

Talking began to spread through the group as they realized what he was getting at. Torchwick sighed and fired into the air. Animals, can't even pay attention and be quiet for a few minutes.

"There's no need to be alarmed, you'll be performing the same job as you set out here for, you'll just be doing for a different employer. And slightly less wages. Don't worry about the math."

"You're talking about slavery!" The Faunus he spotted earlier burst out. Great, trouble.

"No my dear, this is business." Torchwick tried to step back as the girl lunged at him even as he realized she was too fast. Right when he expected her to impact him though, there was nothing. He hid his surprise and looked at where she had been. Mercury and Emerald were now holding her down as she struggled violently. At least they listened to him this time Torchwick thought as he approached her.

"Now why would you go and do that?" he asked. Mercury and Emerald stood her up now.

"You're a monster! How can you treat Faunus like were not even people!" Her angered radiated from her body, a firecracker this one.

"Like I said, it's just business. And you've become an asset we simply cannot afford to retain."

"Cinder isn't going to be pleased that you're killing her workers Roman. This will be two in one night" Emerald cut in, ever the voice of her dear mentor.

"She will just have to get over it in this case." Torchwick snapped as he raised Melodic Cudgel and aimed it at the girl. He blinked. "What the fu…." He began as he stared at the shadow that occupied the space where the girl was a second before.

Emerald and Mercury noticed as well and were now looking around as the shadow figure faded. The three of them noticed at the same time – in the distance they could see the girl running. Emerald made to go after her when Torchwick grabbed her arm to stop her.

"We don't have time. Let her die out there. Its miles to the nearest town and these parts are crawling with Grimm." Torchwick turned back to the group of remaining Faunus. "Let's wrap this up."

* * *

**Thirteen** miles away, a girl in a black and red outfit with a red hood and ammo belt watched the sun set on the horizon. Performing maintenance on Crescent Rose at the end of a day always helped her relax. Ruby Rose often took this time to reflect on the changes that had occurred to the town of Vale since she and Yang had arrived. When they had first stumbled upon this town it had been crime ridden and poorly defended from the Grimm of the wild. But after a year of hard work and constant vigilance, Vale had become what it was today: peaceful and prosperous.

The people of the town were grateful to the wandering hunters and offered them positions as law keepers if they stayed. Ruby had accepted, the prospect of a badge and action to much to pass up. Yang had declined the offer, but stayed behind with her sister. She put her time towards running a local tavern, the best and only one in the town. All in all, they were both fairly happy for a time. But now, after nearly a year of this peaceful town, both had grown bored with routine.

The fact that quickly became apparent was that they had done a damn good job of cleaning up the town. The only things law related that occurred were small disputes between its citizens and the occasional Grimm on the outskirts. Both Yang and Ruby were left here to watch the days pass and perform maintenance on weapons that rarely saw use outside of training.

Ruby found her mood suddenly worsening as she reflected over these things. She shook her head violently to try and force them from her mind. We are happy here she reminded herself. This town needed us. They still need us. But maybe it was time to move on and find something different? Maybe there was another town out there in need of some help…

This thinking was interrupted as Ruby saw a figure running towards from a distance. She stood up and squinted as she attempted to get a better look. Crescent Rose was ready for the threat when Ruby relaxed and realized who it was.

She waited for him to be closer before asking "What is it Jaune?" Crescent Rose was in its compact form now, Ruby had a feeling she would be rushing off to whatever Jaune was here to inform her about.

"It's….It's…" Jaune was struggling for breath but he was eventually able to say "It's Yang."

"Yang?" Ruby was worried now "What's wrong? Is she hurt?"

"No," answered Jaune still trying to catch his breath "She's doing the hurting. Well her and some other girl down at the tavern."

"I'm on it." Was all Ruby said before speeding off, her semblance would get her there faster than any horse. This sort of thing wasn't terribly rare but Ruby wanted to get there before Yang hurt someone too badly.

The tavern was only about half a mile from where Ruby lived. She and Yang had once shared the residence above the bar room but she had moved out after weeks of non-stop noise had finally gotten to her. She approached the building, located in the center of the town – right in the middle of the second of three streets.

As Ruby entered, she couldn't help but notice the redecoration since she had last seen it earlier today. Tables were strewn everywhere and several pieces of what used to be chairs littered the floor. All of the patrons must have fled as only two people were in the bar room that Ruby could see. The first was her sister, Yang, frowning and panting slightly. Her bright blonde hair gave the appearance of fire as she was clearly pumped for the fight that had caused this.

The second one, a girl, was standing on the other side of the room. She had pure white hair and was wearing a combat skirt similar to Ruby's but white and with a snow motif. She had a dueling rapier raised in the air as she faced Yang.

"What is going here?" Ruby asked loudly, both of the fighters turned to look at her. The girl in white was the first to speak though.

"Finally, the authorities have arrived!" she said while walking to Ruby, having noticed her badge. "This, this miscreant attacked me and I would like to press charges."

"Uh, charges?" Ruby asked, confused.

"Oh, hey sis!" Yang chimed in, now standing next to the new girl "What brings you here so late?"

The girl looked back and forth between them as Ruby answered.

"Jaune came and told me there was something here that needed my attention. What happened?" Ruby motioned to the mess.

"Nothing much." Yang answered "Just trying to teach some manners to little miss princess here."

"Manners?!" the girl burst "I am Weiss Schnee, I was taught "manners" when I was three. What you have been doing is assaulting a customer who merely pointed out the lack of quality in this place."

"You compared my tavern to a back alley box stand!"

"The description seemed apt."

They made to go at each other again when Ruby jumped in between them.

"Stop. Stop. Stop. There's no need to make a bigger mess." They seemed to calm down and relax their postures. "Why don't you apologize, uh Weiss?"

"Apologize?"

Yang's hair seemed to catch fire again at her words and Weiss quickly spoke again.

"Fine. I apologize for what may have been an overly harsh criticism of your beautiful and top of the line establishment." The sarcasm was flowing but Yang seemed to ignore it.

"Thank you." She stated simply, the fight must have relieved her boredom because she seemed pretty happy now.

"Great, all settled and everyone is happy." Ruby said to them both "So, um, I guess I'll go now?" Her voice rose at the end of the sentence making it seem like a question.

"Wait!" the girl, Weiss, stopped Ruby "I need a place to stay while I'm in town and it is your job as sheriff to accommodate me." She looked very uncomfortable now, clearly unused to having to ask for anything like this.

"Uhhh, you're in a tavern." Ruby stated flatly "That's what they're for."

"She can't stay here." Yang said, smiling at the discomfort she was inflicting "It's far too below her standards."

"I never…I may have said something along those lines." Weiss stated lamely. "There has to be somewhere else…"

"You can stay with Ruby!" Yang chimed in once again. "She needs to make new friends."

"I don't need friends." Ruby muttered to herself. She had Yang after all.

"That will have to do then. Come help me with my bags." Weiss began to walk towards another room. Her orders were beginning to get out of hand.

"But I never…" was all Ruby got out. Weiss was already in the other room, gathering her belongings.

"Trust me, this'll be good for you." Yang wrapped her around the shoulder with one arm and squeezed "Besides, you need to find out what an heiress to the largest company on Remnant is doing in our little town."

Ruby let out a sigh. Maybe the quiet wasn't such a bad thing.

Weiss' head poked out from the door. "Are you coming or what?"

"Yeaaahhhh."

* * *

**Blake** was going to make it. She had to make. There was no other choice but to go on. If she stopped now, the Grimm would catch up. She had been able to make short work the first ones but then they kept coming. The Grimm seemed to be attracted to the violence and emotions surrounding her when Blake killed their kind. She had eventually decided to simply run, doing her best to avoid them when possible.

A town had to be close. After getting a fair amount of distance from the man and his cronies, Blake had moved back towards the trail and began moving. The town had to be close, if only because if it wasn't she was dead. And Blake refused to die when something like what the man with the cane had been talking about was going on. She may not have been able to stop him there but she would get help, regroup and strategize. One step at a time though, one step at a time.

A noise in the distance, they were getting closer. Blake pushed on, struggling but managing to increase her pace. It had to be close. It just had to.

**Part 1 End**

* * *

**Note: Hey, remember me? From the beginning? C'mon we go way back. No? Oh, well then hi again. Thank you for making it this far and I hope you enjoyed this first part. Please let me know what you thought and feel free to check out my other stories if you get a chance. Also, I'm sorry for the slight cliff hanger, but I felt this was an appropriate stopping point. There are a bunch of ideas just floating around my head at the moment and I am very excited to put them to ink. I hope to be seeing you again.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Doubt** had set in a couple of miles back. Doubt in herself, in her resolve and in the fairness of this world she wanted so desperately to change. These doubts clouded all of her thoughts as Blake pushed on through the cold and exhaustion, her activity making her immune to the majority of its bite. Yes, she doubted. But Blake Belladonna had not survived all that life had thrown at her to simply give up now. Not when so much depended on her. Not now.

For what seemed like the millionth time, Blake renewed her resolve and pushed on, every step getting her closer to saving the others. She would not let them down.

This new found resolve was suddenly bolstered as Blake made out what looked like building in the distance. Her pace increased once again. She silently pleaded that this not be some delusion and continued on.

* * *

**The** fight had been fun Yang reflected, settling the last of the spare chairs at one of the bar room's tables. It had been the first taste of excitement she had felt in a while and she had to admit that the heiress knew how to use her toothpick. Unfortunately the cleanup of the fight drained all of the adrenaline from Yang and she was back to reflecting on her situation.

Vale had been such a fun town when she and Ruby had arrived. There were bars, gatherings and criminals to be dealt with. It had been too much fun in many ways though and the two of them had spent the better part of a year cleaning it up for the sake of its residents. When they asked them both to stay, Ruby had accepted right away, clearly not sharing Yang's doubts. She couldn't abandon her sister though and had forced those doubts back. Yang had hoped that the normality of the town would help her spirit settle.

It had done the opposite, making her crave the old adventures they had been a part of when the two of them made their way west. Ruby and Yang had fought Grimm they had never even heard of. They had helped to broker peace between settlements and native Faunus who refused integration. Hell, they'd even discovered Dust deposits, adding prospectors to their resume. But now…..

Now she and Ruby spent their days watching over a self-sufficient town that no longer had need of them. A purpose. That's what Yang really wanted; adventures always gave her a purpose. Well, that and the adrenaline she craved.

Yang was doing a last survey of the room before going to bed, making sure that everything had been fixed or replaced. Her back was to the entrance as she did this but she heard the saloon doors swing open.

"We're closed for the night. Sorry" was she said before turning. What greeted was the strangest thing on this already unusual day. A cat Faunus, no more than eighteen years old stood just past the doors. She looked like death, her entire body seemingly moments away from collapse but seemed to be attempting to speak.

Yang wasn't wrong as she made the observation though, for just as she opened her mouth to ask if she was ok, the girl collapsed and formed a heap on the bar room floor.

Rushing to her, Yang knelt down beside her and lifted her head.

"Hey! Wake up, what happened? Are you ok?" She rushed out the words, knowing the answer to her last question. "Shit." Yang snapped and she lifted the Faunus into her, noticing that she was surprisingly light and carried her to the nearest room.

"I'll be right back." She said to the unconscious girl, not really knowing why. Yang rushed downstairs and jumped over the bar in her haste. She grabbed a pitcher of water that she always kept there and ran with it back to girl. She was clearly dehydrated and Yang figured working on that would be step one.

Yang pulled the girl up so that she was sitting on the bed and leaning on the back post. The exhausted Faunus stirred as she did this and Yang took advantage of her semi-conscious state to tilt a glass of water on her clearly parched lips. She didn't choke as the water trickled into her mouth and Yang took that as a positive sign. She continued this for several minutes until the glass was empty.

Yang wasn't sure what to do now. The girl was back to a sleeping position and seemed to be fine for the moment. She would need to let Ruby know about this but that could wait until the morning. Plus, she didn't want have the poor girl wake up without anybody there, she had clearly been through enough already. Without anything else to do until she did wake up, Yang took the time to actually look at new guest.

The fact that she was a cat Faunus had been obvious at a glance due to her ears. Which I will not rub, Yang chastised herself as the thought floated through her head. But other characteristics popped out on closer examination: the slight tilt on the corner of her eyes and the eyes themselves. Yang had only gotten a small look when she had stirred but their striking amber color had jumped out at her. They really were beautiful.

Yang took note of her long, black hair next. A regular black cat she thought to herself, hopefully you're not bad luck. Wait, was that racist? Nah. Yang sat back now, ready to wait for the morning with this and similar other thoughts in mind.

* * *

**If** this is what having friends is like than I think Yang has to seriously reexamine what she thinks I need, thought Ruby as she carried yet another bag of Weiss' up the stairs and into her spare bedroom. To be fair, Weiss had carried her share too but was now unpacking one of her many bags. Ruby entered as she was doing this and noticed what was in her bag.

"I have sheets and blankets you can use." She offered, attempting to play host, as Weiss pulled out the sheet set.

"Thanks but I always travel prepared." Weiss spoke while laying out her blanket on the bed. "I didn't bring a mattress though so I suppose this will have to do." She stared at the bed, strangely offended.

"Well then, I guess I'll see you in the morning…and stuff." Ruby was a little confused about what she was supposed to be doing. Should she ask Weiss why she was in Vale now, or wait? It was late so maybe she would be a little less grumpy at breakfast. Sure, that sounds like a thing. "Good night." Ruby turned and left the room.

**As **soon as Ruby left, Weiss let out a huge sigh. She was exhausted from her trip and hadn't actually slept in over twenty-four hours. The distraction at the tavern hadn't helped her either. All in all, all she wanted was a bath and some sleep. Please let them decent water for a bath in this town.

Weiss took one last look at her surroundings before doing an uncharacteristic flop onto the bed. It was about as comfortable as she had expected but was better than her conveyance over the past weeks. A little sleep and you can get to work tomorrow. He is testing you with this assignment and you are not going to disappoint him. Not to mention the potential lives that were at stake if she failed.

Pressure was nothing new to Weiss and she was too exhausted to let it affect her now anyway. The morning, she repeated, I'll get to work in the morning.

She rolled over and pinched the candle on the nightstand. Darkness engulfed the room and Weiss succumbed to sleep.

* * *

**Blake **was up in an instant, her heart pounding and breathing heavily. She looked around trying to find the threat but saw only a normal bedroom. Well a bedroom with a blonde girl in it. Blake was about to speak when she noticed that the girl was sleeping. How did she get here?

The last thing she remembered was running towards a building with light pouring out, presumably the house of this girl. She must have taken me in Blake realized, relaxing and waiting for her heartrate to return to normal. The pitcher of water was the next thing Blake noticed and her body's thirst immediately reaffirmed itself. Ignoring the glass, Blake grabbed the pitcher and started drinking. Water had never tasted so delicious and the contents were gone in moments.

Blake leaned back in the bed now, she had made it. She was alive. Now she had to figure out her next course of action and work from there. She looked back at the blonde, wondering if she would be an ally in this.

The darkness took her again soon after.

* * *

_**Clack. Clack. Clack. **_

Roman Torchwick stood from the chair he had been occupying for the past hour as he heard the tell-tale heels make their way towards the office. Here we go, he thought, preparing himself for Cinder's superior attitude and demands for better results. She always wanted more, no matter how well a job went or how incredibly successful a business deal was, Cinder would always ask why it hadn't gone better. Honestly, learn to settle woman. He wiped his feelings from his face and presented a broad smile, spreading his arms as he greeted her.

"Cinder, my dear giver of orders, how are you?"

She walked past him and to the window, staring out side to the site below as she spoke "Emerald tells me you've been rather naughty with my workers." Her voice possessed a seductive timber that always seemed to Torchwick like a lion purring before a kill.

"Unavoidable incidents, the both of them." He stated "One was to teach a lesson and help you more in the long run with the others. The other would have never cooperated. It was for the good of the venture, as is everything I do."

Cinder seemed to ignore what he said as she continued "But despite all that, I feel that we have a sufficient workforce to proceed to phase two."

Torchwick's eyes narrowed, he had ideas but was never actually told about what phase two would involve.

"You've done an acceptable job of disrupting the Schnee operation from getting off the ground but they still have a field office at the site and will continue to throw assets at it to get it going."

Roman reeled at the insult of 'acceptable' but hid his feelings well. "So you want me to rile them up a bit? Get them off site so you can mine that dust too?"

Cinder laughed, a light, terrifying laugh. "I know you have suspicions about my plans but let me assure you that you are thinking too small." She turned to him now "The dust is only a means to an end Roman, once everything comes to fruition I will have all of Remnant on its knees."

* * *

**Note: Thank you for reading once again, and any feedback you give. This chapter will likely be one of the shortest as I am aiming for about 2-3k words per chapter. This one is short because I wanted to try and set some things up and cover specific things together in Chapter 3. I hope you enjoyed this second part and continue checking back.**


End file.
